FaceTime Means Crying Time

Apple just released four new commercials for the FaceTime video calling feature available as part of iPhone 4. You can see them all here. Every single one of them is an emotional depth charge, so be careful — you’re bound to choke up as you watch. I’m taking a cynical attitude to them because they’ve undermined my exterior facade of emotional imperviousness; I teared up at least a little bit after each of the first three, and have yet to work up the composure to watch the last one. They’re among the most effective commercials I can remember seeing.

Among all of Apple’s iPhone marketing efforts, these commercials in particular offer such an interesting contrast to the competition. Compare them to the shockingly unfriendly, aggressively technical nature being used by Verizon to market the Droid phones. Those advertisements and commercials are nearly dystopian in nature, promising customers a sci-fi-style onslaught of technical prowess. The Droid message seems to be, “Resistance is futile.” I just find it hard to get behind that, in no small part because I’m still a sobbing mess over here from these FaceTime commercials.

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  1. Peter Gasston

    OK, I completely take on board your point about the humanity of the ads vs. the technology focus of other companies, but…

    “Every single one of them is an emotional depth charge, so be careful — you’re bound to choke up as you watch.”

    Really? Come on. They’re no more tear-jerking or heartfelt than any of the other commercials which pass on TV that try to tug at your heartstrings.

    You don’t have to love everything Apple does *that* much.

  2. Khoi Vinh

    I hear you, but I have to say: these commercials turn me to mush. I know they’re schmaltzy, the acting is uneven, and the scenarios are cliched, but for whatever reason, I’m powerless against them.

  3. Mike F.

    For me face time is cry time because of microsim lack issue in where I leave.
    BTW. Is there really a technical reason for such changes or is it plain old “We have to sell some new plastic, just with different design.

  5. Jay

    Maybe you have to be from the US to like these? As an Australian I find them cliched, syrupy and cringeworthy. Then again, it could just be me 🙂

    It might also be I’m sceptical of FaceTime – especially as it’s WiFi only. Video calling was promoted heavily in Oz 7 years ago as a way of advertising new 3G phone networks and yet I’ve never seen anyone make a video call, despite having capable handsets.

  6. Daniel

    Damn it, you’re right. Trying to regain some sort of composure Ё come on Daniel, you’re a grown man Ё at work Ё don’t Ё cry Ё

    I’m not sure Deaf Matt Damon’s girlfriend should being using a mobile phone in a hospital, but I’ll let her off because Ё because Ё aaaw man hear come the tears again Ё

  7. Matthew Pennell

    Emotional depth charge, but only if you share the ‘father’ experience – 3 out of 4 of them play on fatherhood. Very clever of Apple – that’s their core target market, 30-something guys with disposable income are likely to connect with being a dad.

  8. Terry Sutton

    The emotional appeal certainly works. The most effective I’ve seen in a long time is [surprisingly] the Microsoft Kin video on the main website: Kin.com

    Too bad the product didn’t live up to the ad, but nevertheless it’s an excellent sentimental treatment. The whole time I was looking at it I felt like I wanted to run away and leave it all behind, and worry about the consequences later.

    I’ve seen very few things like the Kin video and the iPhone ads have brought a response this powerful from me.

    [sidenote: the only comment from my non-tecnhical wife after watching these was – ‘Cool, I already know how to use it’.

  9. Andy Jacobson

    Yes, all four spots caught my attention, but with each one I kinda smirked, thinking…”Do I really want to interact about such important issues as my wife becoming pregnant via an iPhone?” For me, the “FaceTime” campaign highlights the negatives associated with communicating via technology versus in-person.

  10. Hamranhansenhansen

    > For me face time is cry time because of microsim
    > lack issue in where I leave.

    SIM and micro-SIM are the exact same device, except SIM has a lip of useless plastic around it which can be cut off to make a micro-SIM. You can do this with scissors, but there are also SIM cutting tools where you put your SIM in and press down and out pops a micro-SIM.

    So even if your carrier does not yet carry micro-SIM you can make your own quite easily from your current SIM.

    > Is there really a technical reason for such changes

    There is less room inside devices due to smaller form factors and larger batteries. Micro-SIM enables the SIM tray to be much smaller, taking up less internal room and also using up less external area on much thinner devices.

    So, no, it’s not a plot of some kind.

    > Yes, all four spots caught my attention, but with
    > each one I kinda smirked, thinkingЁ“Do I really
    > want to interact about such important issues as my
    > wife becoming pregnant via an iPhone?”

    Although you can have sex via iPhone, your wife won’t become pregnant unless I missed something on the spec sheet.

    > For me, the “FaceTime” campaign highlights
    > the negatives associated with communicating
    > via technology versus in-person.

    The point of FaceTime is to make both distance and technology go away. If you are in the next room, just walk a few steps and talk face to face. However, if you are in Kuwait and your pregnant wife is in the US, then dial her number and tap “FaceTime” to get the next best thing. It’s a key feature that you only have to dial as usual, you don’t have to sign up for Skype or something, so what you have in FaceTime is simply improved voice calling, nothing is lost.

    If you are totally against phones … then these commercials definitely aren’t for you.

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